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The creation of four states from UP is a good idea, as is the creation of Telangana

admin | November 16, 2011 | 0 Comments

The cabinet of Uttar Pradesh has decided that the state will be governed better if split into four smaller units. Chief minister Mayawati has announced that her government is ready to create four states out of the behemoth that UP is now. We strongly support the proposal.

It will also make sense for the UPA government and the Congress party, its largest constituent, to take the cue from UP and move fast to create the new state of Telangana. In most cases, creating smaller states satisfies regional demands, creates compact administrative units, kicks off several rounds of investment and construction and empowers local leaders with greater responsibility.

If UP, with its population of 200 million people became an independent nation, it would be the fifth-largest country in the world, ahead of Brazil and behind only China, India, the US and Indonesia.

From its relatively prosperous west to its poorer east, the state is amazingly diverse and a nightmare to administer effectively. Splitting it into four smaller states each with its own capital and administrative setup could do a world of good. I

nvestments would be needed to build new infrastructure and those would create jobs and incomes for many who are excluded now. It is highly likely that the new states created, Harit Pradesh in the west, Bundelkhand in the south, and Central UP and Poorvanchal in the east, will do better than UP.

The last new states to be created were Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. In 2008-09, the average person in Chhattisgarh had an income of Rs 34,483; his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh, from which it was separated, earned only Rs 21,648. Income per person in Jharkhand was nearly Rs 21,500; that in Bihar was Rs 13,700.

The perhead income in Uttarakhand was Rs 36,675, almost double UP’s Rs 18,710. On this count alone, it is easy to justify the creation of smaller states. Creating Telangana, of course, is no longer a question of if, but when. If enough people believe that their identity and numbers call for a separate administrative unit, the demand has to be met democratically, not rejected on some vague ground.